Bottle carrier



BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Dec. 22, 1944 INI/5N rop,

Patentecl Mar. 18, 1947 OFFICE K BOTTLE CARRIER rlhonias W. Mullen, Evansville, Ind.

Application December 22, 1944, Serial No. 569,363

1 Claim.` (Cl. 224-45) This invention relates to means for carrying a y number of bottles and is particularly adapted to carrying lled and empty bottles backV and forth between stores and dispensing establishments, as a matter of convenience in not only carrying the bottles but also as a matter of preventing breakage and the avoidance of the use of paper or liber board containers.

A primary advantage of the invention is that it may be incorporated in a substantially small structure resistant to normal wear and tear to last over an exceedingly long period of time, and at the same time may be exceedingly simple not only in construction and manufacture, but also in manipulation by the user. l

A further important advantage of the invention is that it may be exceedingly light in weight even though made of metal; and will be neat and unobtrusive and yet certain of carrying the bottles without accidental release thereof whether the bottles be resting upon a solid foundation or suspended in the air.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description oi one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a structure embodying the invention and with bottles engaged thereby;

Fig. 2, a View in end elevation;

Fig. 3, a top plan view;

Fig. 4, a view in transverse vertical section on the line 4 4, and

Fig. 5, a detail in vertical longitudinal section on the line --5 in Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

A base or plate member I0 may be made out of any selected material including one of the plastics; ber board; ply Wood; or metal without any limitation thereby to the scope of the invention. In the present form, the plate I Il is shown as being made out of metal. and the thickness of this metal may be quitethin where the edges of the plate are reinforced by a turndowned iiange II extending therearound and further by annular flanges I2 extending integrally from the plate I0 from the margins of each oi the bottle neck receiving holes I 3, herein shown as six in number, three in alignment on each side of the longitudinal center line of the plate Ill.

The diameters of these holes i 3 are made to be such that the mouth ends of the bottles I4 may be relatively inserted therethrough even when capped, and to carry the shoulderV I5 appearing on each bottle It on through the hole. That is, the customarily formed bottle I4 carries an annular shoulder I5 spaced downwardly from the cro-wn cap I6, and advantage is taken of this shoulder I 5 to afford a lifting of the bottle thereby.

Preferably some sort of a handle Il is attached to the plate I0, herein shown as simply a U-shaped member having its lowerl ends securedto the plate Eil in any suitable manner, such as by welding thereto. Where the handle is to be reduced in height from that shownin the drawing, parts of the plate il! will be struck upwardly therefrom in a manner well known to those versed in the sheet metal art, such forming of the handle not forming a part of the invention per se.

On each side of the handle I1, the plate I0 is preferably provided with a recess or groove I8 on the one side and i9 on the other side, sufficiently wide and deep as to receive slidingly thereover the engaging bars 20 and 2|, to have the upper faces of these bars substantially in the plane oi the top sideof the plate Ill. The bars 20 and 2l are further given a sumcient transverse width as to extend normally by outer edge portions over the respective holes I3.

For example, the bar 2l has an outer marginal edge A which, Fig. 3, extends on a common chordal line across the holes I3. The effective opening then of the holes I3 between this edge A and the opposite edge of the holes I3 in each instance is substantially equal to the diameter of the neck portion of the bottle I4 immediately below the shoulder I5, or at least suiciently reduced from the full diameter of the hole I3 as to prevent the bottle I5 from passing relatively downwardly through the hole I3 by reason of the engagement of the bar edge A under the shoulder I5 on the one side and the open or outer side of the plate I0 about the hole I3 engaged under the shoulder I5 diametrically across from the edge portion A. The same dimensioning of the bar 23 holds true in respect to the holes I3 on the other side of the handle I1.

The bar 2| may be shifted from this bottle holding position to the right, Fig. 3, to bring into registry with the two right hand holes I3 the notched out marginal edge portions B with the marginal portion of each of those holes I3 whereby the full diameter of the hole I3 in each instance is available for the withdrawing of the bottle from the plate I0. The bar 2l is made of that length in respect to its left hand end, Fig. 3, that when the arcuate portions B are in registry with the corresponding marginal portions of the holes i3, that end of the bar 2l Will be to the right of the extreme left hand hole I3 so as to leave that hole uncovered with its full effective opening therethrough. The bar 2B is shown in this shifted position for bottle release or bottle insertion relatively through the plate lil. In respect to the insertion or release of the bottles I4 .normally the plate would be lowered down over the group of sii; bottles and then the bars 20 and 2l pushed to the left to interengage the plate I0 with the bottles, and when the bottles are to be released, they would be placed upon a table or some suitable base, and each of .the bars 20 and 2l then pulled to the right for the release positions as above indicated.

The bars 20 and 2i are retained .in position 'on the plate l0 Within their respective slots .or grooves I8 and i9 by any suitable means, herein shown as by upwardly struck bands 22 and 23, pushed vupwardly and left integral with theplate il) to permit the bars to slide thereunder freely. Each bar 29 and 2l is preferably provided with an operating means, herein shown as by Aan upturned `end 24 and 25 respectively by which the bars'may be readily shifted. The bars are limited in their degree of longitudinal travel by any suitable means, herein shown as by a detent 26 struck upwardly from the plate I0 to be in the path of holes 2l and 28 provided in the bar 29. There is Vsulicient spring in the bar to .permit it to rise over 'the detent .26, shifting the registry trom hole 21 to '28. These holes 2i and 28 are so located in the bar 20 that the hole 2l will be over the detent 2S when the bar 20 is in the released position as shown in Fig. 3, and then When the hole 28 is over the detent 26 the bar 29 is in the bottle lifting position. Thebar 2| is likewise provided with .a detent 29 struck up in its path to register selectively with the holes 30 and 3| in the same manner to secure the bar releasably in either one of its .two positions.

While I have .herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural. changes may be employed, particularly in the means for releasably retaining the slide bars Within their slots and also Within their limited -travels from engaging those bottle release positions, all Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond thelimitations as may be imposed by the following'claim.

I claim:

In a device for carrying a plurality of bottles by supporting them around their necks under an Vannular shoulder, a plate having a plurality .of aligned holes therethrough; a Adepressed track vforming a groove across the plate and intersected by 'said holes; a slide bar slidingly carried within said groove, the depth of said groove placing the top side -of said bar in the plane of the top side of said plate, and said bar having spaced apart arcuate notches along its edge adjacent said holes arranged to `register and non-register selectively with said holes upon reciprocation of the bar; means retaining the bar Within said groove; and means yieldingly maintaining said bar in said hole non-registry position; said bar retaining means consisting of at least one strap integral With said plate extending therefrom and up and over said bar.

THOMAS W. MULLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,337,243 Hutaf Dee. 21, i943 2,287,731 Franks et al. June 23, i942 2,320,440 Kruea et al. June l, 1943 2,052,756 Elliott Sept. l, 1936 1,898,393 Rickers Feb. 21, 1933 2,395,755 Parks Feb. 26, 1946 2,397,708 Ulbrich Apr. 2, 1946 

